Old Fashioned Squirrel and Dumplings
Old Fashioned Squirrel and Dumplings
30 Min
Prep Time
240 Min
Cook Time
Medium
Difficulty
My youngest son, Potroast, is fanatical about squirrel hunting. Since our home state of Kentucky has a squirrel season that covers around eight months of the year, he has ample time to chase bushytails.
If I have it on hand, I like to cook my squirrels in chicken stock, but cold water, a bay leaf and some salt will suffice.
Ingredients
3-4 squirrels, skinned but not quartered
2-3 quarts chicken stock or water with a bay leaf and a tablespoon of salt
Dumplings
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup vegetable shortening or butter
½ cup cold milk
Cooking Instructions
Start the recipe well in advance of meal time (the night before is fine, but the 3 to 4 hours it takes to simmer the squirrels is long enough) by making the dumplings. Whisk the salt and baking powder into the flour then cut in the shortening with a fork until you have pea-sized bits mixed throughout the flour. Gradually stir in milk, a bit at a time, until the mixture forms a smooth dough. Sprinkle a work surface with flour and roll out the dough into a 1/8-inch-thick sheet. Cover with a clean towel and set the dough aside to rest overnight or until the squirrel is done.
Uncover your rested dumpling dough and, using a pizza cutter, cut it into 1-inch by 2-inch dumplings.
Drop the dumplings into the boiling stock and simmer for another 10 minutes until they are cooked through, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
